ASTANA – Satbayev University and Pennsylvania State University signed a general agreement for academic cooperation during the visit of the Satbayev University delegation of senior administrators and faculty to Penn State on Feb. 1-2, reported Penn State’s press service.
Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Satbayev University Rector Meiram Begentayev sign a general agreement for academic cooperation. Photo credit: Nathaniel Ulrich / Penn State.
The visit included facility tours, presentations, a library tour, break-out sessions with Penn State faculty, and an informal gathering with Kazakh students currently studying at Penn State.
The university representatives and faculty focused on establishing collaborative educational programs in four disciplinary tracks: petroleum engineering, geology, materials science, and cybersecurity.
They also discussed the implementation of a visiting scholar program and potential opportunities for research collaboration.
Samgat Yermekbayev, the chief adviser to the Kazakh Minister of Science and Higher Education, stressed the strategic significance of this collaboration for Kazakhstan’s education system.
“Satbayev University is the No. 1 STEM university in the country. The implementation of joint research projects, dual degree programs and scientific internships will give an impetus to our collaborative work,” he said.
The universities explored the possibilities for faculty and student exchanges, including faculty-led embedded courses and internship opportunities for Penn State students with companies in Kazakhstan.
Vlad Likholetov, associate director for partnership agreements in Penn State Global, underscored the multiple opportunities for collaboration between Penn State faculty and their colleagues in Kazakhstan.
“In this case, potential synergies exist in the areas of mining, oil and gas, geology, engineering sciences, and materials science – and also in cooperation with industry and research commercialization,” he noted.
The following steps will focus on facilitating faculty-to-faculty communications and finding ways to engage students. Both sides have support mechanisms, such as the Bolashak scholarship program in Kazakhstan and Penn State Global travel awards, to foster continued interaction between the two universities.
Founded in 1934, Satbayev University is Kazakhstan’s leading technical institution. It was designated as a national research university in 2014. Coordinated by Penn State Global, the visit marked a milestone in the evolving relationship between the two universities, which began in 2018.
